JPH0376173B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a mixed liquid. In particular, the present invention relates to the production of dilute solutions from concentrates and dilute solutions, but is also applicable where miscible liquid mixtures are required.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many manufacturing methods and in many methods for processing substances in liquids, it is necessary to produce processing liquids of predetermined concentrations as accurately and quickly as possible. Because liquid is often lost from the bath by evaporation, reaction, or transport to materials passing through the bath, it is often necessary to produce a process liquid bath and a replenisher bath of the same concentration to supplement the process liquid bath. becomes. This need arises particularly when the sheet material is passed through a bath of processing liquid.

The production of two baths requires the measurement of four liquids. The second liquid is a concentrated liquid and the second liquid is a diluted liquid. It is really undesirable to carry out many measurements on a concentrated liquid if the concentrated liquid is strongly alkaline, strongly acidic or hazardous to health.

Furthermore, when a concentrated liquid is mixed with a diluted liquid, it is extremely difficult to achieve a uniform concentration so that there is no diluted liquid or concentrated liquid part in the entire volume of the diluted liquid.

US Pat. No. 4,002,267 describes a method for preparing solutions from concentrates and dilute solutions. In this method, the concentrate is contained in a single container. The contents of the container are poured into a tube connected to a supply tank and at the same time a measured amount of diluent solution is sent into the same tube to produce a dilute solution in the supply tank. This requires complex piping and highly accurate means of gauging the diluent. Furthermore, there is no way to check whether the dilute liquid has been sufficiently mixed in the supply tank.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus that can easily produce a liquid mixture of a processing bath and an accompanying replenishment bath without the need to measure both liquids. A method and apparatus are also provided for making the liquid within the apparatus uniform in concentration.

According to the present invention, the required amount of concentrated liquid is added to the reservoir in the apparatus, and then the diluent is added to the reservoir until the liquid level in the reservoir reaches the top of the riser pipe of the reservoir, and the excess liquid in the reservoir is continuously added. is poured into the connected working tank through the riser pipe, and when the amount of diluent in the working tank reaches the predetermined amount, the diluent addition is stopped, and at least part of the liquid is drawn out from the bottom of the working tank and pumped into the storage tank. A method for producing a working concentration solution in a processing device, which consists of pumping the liquid, allowing the excess liquid in the storage tank to flow into the working tank, and continuing pumping the liquid from the working tank to the storage tank until the specific gravity of the liquid in the storage tank and the working tank become the same. is provided.

Preferably, a pre-packed and measured amount of concentrate is added to the reservoir.

Before pumping from the working tank to the storage tank began, it was found that the specific gravities in the two tanks and even in different parts of the same tank were significantly different, indicating that the concentrate and diluent were not sufficiently mixed. Ta. However, after several minutes of operation of the pump, the liquid specific gravity of the two tanks and their respective parts approaches uniformity. Furthermore, after the liquid was circulated from the working tank to the storage tank by the pump, the specific gravity of the liquid in each tank and each part thereof became the same, indicating that the concentrated liquid and diluted liquid were completely mixed.

According to another aspect of the invention, a storage tank having an overflow riser therein connected to a working tank for directing excess liquid in the storage tank to a working tank in a processing apparatus, wherein the processing liquid is used to process material. A concentrated liquid comprising a working tank capable of producing a concentrated liquid, a means for adding diluent to the storage tank, a liquid level display means in the working tank, a liquid pump connected to convey the liquid from the bottom of the working tank to the bottom of the storage tank, and a means for measuring the specific gravity of the liquid. An apparatus is provided for producing a working concentration processing solution from a diluent solution.

The accompanying figures will serve to illustrate the invention.

1 to 5 are all cross-sectional views of the apparatus used in the present invention, and the same numbers in each figure indicate the same parts.

FIG. 1 shows an empty apparatus consisting of a liquid storage tank 1 and a processing liquid working tank 2. As shown in FIG. The concentrate and the diluent, which in this example is water, are mixed in reservoir 1 and then sent to working tank 2 to create a predetermined concentration of active ingredient in working tank 2; Create a solution with the same concentration of active ingredient that can be used to replenish tank 2.

The storage tank 1 has a water supply pipe 3, and an open riser pipe 4 is connected to the bottom of the working tank 2 by a pipe 5. A liquid level switch 7 is provided in the working tank 2 to stop the dilution water when the liquid level reaches a predetermined height.

A pipe 8 connects the bottoms of the two tanks 1 and 2. In the tube 8 there is a pump 9, which is capable of pumping liquid both from tank 1 to tank 2 and from tank 2 to tank 1.

On the right side of the tank 2 is a wide mouth bottle 10 containing a floating scale 11, which is used to measure the specific gravity of the liquid.

In FIG. 1, both tanks 1 and 2 contain no liquid. In FIG. 2, a predetermined amount of concentrated liquid C is poured into a storage tank 1 from a packaging container. The amount is approximately halfway up the height of the riser pipe 4.

In FIG. 3, dilution water D is coming out from the water supply pipe 3. Part of the water D mixes with the concentrated liquid C and the liquid volume increases, so that the excess liquid flows down the riser pipe 4 and enters the working tank 2. The liquids in these two tanks are called C+D, indicating incomplete mixing.

In FIG. 4, enough water D is flowing in to raise the liquid level in the working tank 2 to the required height. The liquid level switch 7 is activated and the water supply is stopped.

At this stage, both tanks 1 and 2 contain incompletely mixed liquid C+D.

Liquid is then pumped from tank 2 to tank 1 by pump 9, and excess liquid in tank 1 flows through riser pipe 4 to tank 2, thereby maintaining the liquid level in tank 2.

Next, the liquid specific gravity of the two tanks is measured using a wide mouth bottle 10 and a floating scale 11. When the specific gravities of the two liquids match, the pump 9 is stopped.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which both tanks 1 and 2 contain completely mixed working concentration treated liquid M.

Liquid is removed from the working tank 2 by such an operation that the material is treated in this tank. When the liquid level indicator 7 operates, the pump 9 operates to send liquid from tank 1 to tank 2 to maintain the liquid level in this tank.

In one operation, the apparatus of FIGS. 1-5 was used to produce a working strength photographic fixer and photographic paper was fixed in working tank 2.

The main active component of the fixer in this case is ammonium thiosulfate.

Commercially available ammonium thiosulfate concentrate is 687.2g/
The specific gravity was 1.335.

The concentration of ammonium thiosulfate in the working concentration solution is
It needs to be 137.44g/, and its specific gravity is
It is 1.076.

Concentrated thiosulfate solution C3 was placed in tank 1 shown in FIG. 2, and water D was added as shown in FIG. 4 to make the total volume of solution C+D 15.

Thus, the theoretical concentration of ammonium thiosulfate in the liquid in the two tanks was the required concentration of 137.44 g/.

However, specific gravity measurements showed that the actual concentration varied considerably in the two tanks and in different parts of each tank.

In one test, the specific gravity was measured in the state shown in Figure 4 before pump operation started, and the results were as follows: Density tank 2 top 1.082 Tank 2 bottom 1.112 Tank 1 top 1.030 Tank 1 bottom 1.100 The liquid was pumped from tank 2 to tank 1. After pumping for 5 minutes, the specific gravity was as follows: Tank 2 Top Specific Gravity 1.074 Tank 2 Bottom 1.080 Tank 1 Top 1.070 Tank 1 Bottom 1.070 After 12 minutes of pump operation, the specific gravity was as follows: Tank 2 Top Specific Gravity 1.076 Tank 2 Bottom 1.076 Tank 1 Top 1.076 Tank 1 Bottom 1.076 This is because the concentrated ammonium thiosulfate solution is precisely mixed with water and the entire device is filled with ammonium thiosulfate.
This shows that the solution had a uniform working concentration of 137.44 g/g/. This result was confirmed by chemical analysis of liquid M from both tanks 1 and 2.

Once the time necessary to obtain a constant specific gravity measurement throughout the apparatus in general operation is established with a particular concentrate, this mixing time can be used every time and specific gravity measurements are not required.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 5 are schematic cross-sectional views of the apparatus used in the present invention. Figure 1 shows the empty state of the device.
Figure 2 shows the state in which concentrated liquid C has been added, Figure 3 shows the state in which diluted liquid D is being added to C, and Figure 4 shows the state in which addition of D has been completed.
FIG. 5 shows a state in which a uniform mixed liquid M has been obtained. 1... Storage tank, 2... Working tank, 3... Diluent supply pipe, 4... Rising overflow pipe, 9... Pump.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Adding a necessary amount of concentrated liquid to a storage tank in a processing device,
Add diluting solution to the storage tank until the liquid level in the storage tank reaches the top of the riser pipe in the storage tank, and then continue adding diluent to the storage tank to cause excess liquid in the storage tank to flow through the riser pipe to the communicating work tank. When the amount of liquid in the tank reaches the predetermined amount, the diluent supply flow is stopped and the pump is started to pump at least a portion of the liquid from the bottom of the working tank to the storage tank, allowing excess liquid in the storage tank to flow into the working tank. A method for producing a working concentration liquid in a processing device, which comprises continuing to pump liquid from the working tank to the storage tank until the specific gravity of the liquid in the storage tank and the working tank become the same. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a pre-packed and measured amount of concentrated liquid is added to the storage tank. 3. A liquid storage tank 1 having an overflow riser pipe 4, a working tank 2 connected to the riser pipe so that excess liquid in the storage tank 1 can flow, and in which a substance is treated using a processing liquid, and a diluent solution supplied to the storage tank. a liquid level display member 7 in the working tank 2, a liquid feeding pump 9 communicating from the bottom of the working tank 2 to the bottom of the storage tank, and a liquid specific gravity measuring meter 1.
1. An apparatus for material processing having an apparatus for producing a working concentration processing liquid from a concentrated liquid, characterized by comprising: